How to draw men and women based on their skeletons structure

In this article, I will explain how to draw the whole body of men and women, focusing on the differences in their skeletons.

The three main points are shoulder width, rib cage, and pelvis.

How to draw men and women (1): Shoulder width

The first difference between men and women’s physiques is shoulder width.

In general, the clavicle length is longer in men than in women.

As a result, men’s shoulders are wider and women’s are narrower.

Also, men’s clavicles are shaped like an inverted c, while women’s are slightly lowered outward.

As a result, men tend to have an anchor shoulder and women tend to have a sloping shoulder.

 

How to draw men and women (2): Thorax

The next factor is the size of the rib cage (ribs).
Men have a wider rib cage due to their longer clavicles, while women’s rib cage is narrower.

When we focus on the lower part of the ribs, the biological differences are more pronounced.

In men, the lower ribs are wider, making it more difficult for the hips to form a neckline.

On the contrary, women’s lower ribs are squeezed out, resulting in a thinner torso, which is also the origin of the waist neckline.

The sagging shape of the lower rib cage, combined with the widening of the pelvis, as discussed below, results in the unique female waist neckline.

In the case of men, they have a large rib cage and a widened shape, which does not allow for a neckline.

The line falls in a straight line from the waist to the lower half of the body.

How to draw men and women, point (3): Pelvis

The last point is the structure of the pelvis.

Let’s focus on the three points of the pelvis: shape, height, and angle.

Shape of the pelvis

First, let’s look at the shape of the pelvis.

Men’s pelvis is narrow and deep, while women’s is wide and shallow.

Pelvic height

Next, let’s talk about pelvic height.

Men have a higher pelvis and women have a lower one.

The higher the pelvis position, the closer it is to the ribs and the less likely it is to form a neckline.

On the other hand, if the pelvis position is low, as in women, the distance from the ribs is farther, making it easier to form a neckline.

Pelvic Angle

The angle at which the pelvis is attached also differs between men and women.

If you look at the diagram from the side, you will see that the male pelvis is tilted backwards.

In contrast, the female pelvis is tilted forward.

Angle of the femur

Finally, let’s look at the angle of the femur.

A woman’s pelvis is wider horizontally, which results in a strong angle from the base of the femur to the knee.

On the contrary, men’s femur is not angled so much because it sits on a narrow vertical pelvis.

The angle of the femur on the pelvis is the reason why men cannot sit flat on their backs as women can.

The above is an explanation of the skeletal differences between males and females.

The skeletal structure of the human body differs depending on the sex.

We hope you will use the knowledge we’ve provided here to draw men and women differently.

(Text and pictures by Setsu Yoshida)